He knew it was Marquel behind the black and crimson hood. He recognized the voice even though mostof the face was now concealed. The rest of the tight-fitting black clothing covered the man from toe toneck. It was mildly theatrical, but Williams didn't laugh at its wearer. There was nothing funny about whatit implied. Besides, the slick black material had a practical use. It was highly water-repellent. It wouldalso shed blood."You know," he said conversationally while Williams tried to find another way out of the office, "whenyou and your friends got rid of Jobius Trell it was a wonderful opportunity for my employers to putsomeone like myself in a position to oversee their interests here. Until now, though, I haven't had to doanything except perform as a secretary. I was hoping life would go on that way, but" heshrugged "sometimes things don't always work out the way we plan them. However, our trainingteaches us to be patient. I hadn't expected to have to practice my true vocation for the duration of mystay on this world."Williams had never seen a Qwarm before, a member of the assassins' guild, but like most people he'dheard of them. They appeared so often in mass entertainment that myth became mixed with reality. Aswas often the case with professional criminals, their exploits were highly romanticized, something theQwarm encouraged. The less seriously people took them, the easier it was for them to practice their art.Their services were very expensive, there weren't many of them, they were scattered throughout thevastness of the Commonwealth, and in two hundred years the government and the Church had beenunable to stamp them out. It was difficult to arouse public opinion against malefactors who materializedbut rarely and then vanished.One had materialized now, across the room from Williams."I came aboard, you might say, with the new Commissioner. She's been very pleased with my work. Sohave my real employers. I could have killed you and your companions before you left, but if you didn'tfind Yingyapin, there was no reason to complicate matters and if you did, I expected Antal and hispeople to take care of you. Your return is a minor complication easily resolved. It was very thoughtful ofGenerated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlyou to come straight here, without telling anyone else your story.""The security guard downstairs saw me come in.""That's all it's his business to do.""The Tran who brought me here will demand to see me again.""You think the Commissioner is going to call for a peaceforcer on the advice of a few excitable natives?"He grinned humorlessly again. "Why do you think Antal didn't send his remaining skimmer and every iceship he could muster out after you when the first skimmer didn't come back? It was because he knew Iwas here to look after things.""Killing me won't save Bamaputra's operation.""Of course it will. If your friends come back, I'll kill them, too. Right now I'm a little out of practice, butkilling isn't something you forget how to do. It stays with you, like riding a bike." He cracked hisknuckles, the sound loud in the room. "Your presence here will give me some practice. If you were thatSeptember fellow, I might be a little nervous about not having worked in so long, but you won't be anytrouble, teacher."This was without a doubt, Williams thought wildly, the craziest conversation he'd ever participated in inhis life. At the same time he was coldly aware it might also be his last.Still, as long as he was talking, he wasn't dying. Maybe someone would break in on them. Stanhope hedidn't expect. That had obviously been a ploy."What about the rest of the scientists here? They're going to get worried when Cheela Hwang and hercolleagues don't return.""That's Antal's problem, not mine. He's a resourceful supervisor. He'll think of something." Marquel wasstarting to edge around the far side of the desk, his movements casual, assured. "Fatal accidents are notunknown on this world. The science staff here will accept a reasonable explanation, have a bit of a cry,then go back to their work.""If you work for Bamaputra, then you must have some idea of what this is all about. Even so, I don'tsuppose it would do me any good to appeal to your sense of morality, assuming you have one.""Oh, but the Qwarm are very moral, my inquisitive friend. Like everything else in life, however, moralityis flexible.""Not where I come from. So you don't care that tens .of thousands of Tran are going to die ifBamaputra's plan becomes reality?"Marquel shrugged. "I am in the business of death. Numbers don't frighten me. Just between you and me,I don't like the idea, no. But being a killer myself, I'm hardly in a position to question the motives ofothers for the killing they may do. In the case of the Tran who will fail to survive the rapid change inclimate, they will never connect their deaths with a specific killer. There will be no personal contactinvolved, no face-to-face acceptance of responsibility. It will appear an act of nature and that's a shame.One should know who is responsible for one's passing. There's no intimacy to the act. As a professional Ifind that sad.Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html"With you and me things will be much different. You will know how you are going to die and by whosehands. You'll go to your grave without questions tickling your soul. Don't you think it's best that way?Much better than fading away like a song in some indifferent hospital bed, or being stricken by an attackon the way home from a job. Face-to-face assassination is a positive statement. Each of us goes to hisdeath burdened by enough other unanswered and unanswerable questions.""How are you going to do it?" Williams kept sliding along the far wall. If nothing else, he'd make himselfa moving target."There are many ways. I'd like to be as inventive as possible, but your showing up unexpectedlyprecludes that. Besides, this is a very straightforward situation. Really no need to make it any morecomplex than necessary. The best thing for me, of course, would be to make it look like an accident incase I have difficulty smuggling your body out of Administration and over to the incinerator."His hand dipped into a narrow pocket that was sewn into one leg of the tight suit. When it reappearedWilliams saw the tiny, collapsing stiletto protruding from enfolding fingers. Like Marquel's attire, the bladeand handle were obsidian black."That doesn't look much like an accident."Marquel nodded approvingly. "I'm glad to see you're taking this in the proper spirit. So many can't. Theyfall down and weep and wail and plead even though they know it's all a waste of time. It'll be a goodchange to kill someone who knows how to handle the inevitable like an adult." He held the stiletto up tothe light, admiring it."You're right. This wouldn't look very accidental. But it's traditional. Much as I would like to use it, it'llbe easier for both of us if you'll just swallow this." He held out a pill. For a change it was bright blueinstead of black or red."Why should I make things easier for you?""Because this kills in less than a minute, quietly and bloodlessly. It'll be just like going to sleep. No pain.Efficient. If you don't take it, then I'll have to cut you. That will be slower, messier, and much moreuncomfortable for you. The end result will be the same. This office is soundproofed but I'd still have totake the precaution of cutting your vocal cords first. Some people can get very loud."He was moving purposefully toward the teacher now, gliding rather than walking across the floor."Resistance on your part is useless. I'm considerably stronger than I look, much stronger than you, and agreat deal quicker. Killing is my job. You know, I've never killed a teacher before. I'm not sure any
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]